Standalone Toilet Paper Dispenser

We awoke one summer day in June, 2000, to find that our toilet had been overflowing all night. In addition to ruining the bathroom floor, the water seeped into the utility room next door. The water also drained through the floor into the downstairs. It was a mess; but, as is true with many disasters, it turned out to be a blessing. A friend spent 3 1/2 months doing repairs. We took advantage of the project to do a little remodeling as well. When the work was done we were pleased with the results.

There was one lingering problem, however. The toilet in our new bathroom was backed against the middle of a wall with nowhere to conveniently mount a toilet paper dispenser. My solution was to design and build a standalone dispenser. The objective was to create an elegant addition to our bathroom that complemented the decor and was light enough to be moved while a person was engaged on the thrown. It also had to hold two rolls to prevent any embarrassing moments caused by running out while inconvenienced.

As pictured, the finished dispenser is made of oak with an open framework design that makes it quite light. The six cross members make the unit exceptionally sturdy. People have asked why I didn’t close the bottom so it could be used for storing spare rolls. That would have made the unit too heavy. Besides, with two rolls on board, it doesn’t matter where the spare rolls are stored.

Every part of this standalone TP dispenser (with the exception of the plastic roll holders and rubber feet) is hand made from oak including the handle on the top. The buttons showing on the side hide screw holes. The finish is a Golden Oak stain under two coats of water based polyurethane. To give the unit a very smooth finish, the entire piece has sanded with a Fine 3-M sanding pad. This removes the shine and leaves a finish that is as smooth as a baby’s behind. All finishing was completed before final assembly.

There’s probably some personality disorder for people’s preference on how the TP flows off the roll. Mine is “going postal” when I discover that there is no roll! But I had this friend one time, who used to be a janitor, and said that “people use less TP if it comes off the top of the roll”. I don’t know where in the world she gets this info…probably some million dollar government research project from the 60’s!

Great idea George, you have my blessing. Nothing worse than trying to twist backward grappling for some s….. paper and then to run out. You have managed to solve both problems and do it in an elegant way, kudos.. mike

-- (You just have to please the man in the Mirror) Mike from Michigan -